a Arab ednicity shouwd not be confused wif non-Arab ednicities dat are awso native to de Arab worwd.[38]b Not aww Arabs are Muswims and not aww Muswims are Arabs. An Arab can fowwow any rewigion or irrewigion, uh-hah-hah-hah.cArab identity is defined independentwy of rewigious identity.

The term Arab and ʾaʿrāb are mentioned around 40 times in pre-Iswamic Sabaean inscriptions. The term Arab occurs awso in de titwes of de Himyarite kings from de time of 'Abu Karab Asad untiw MadiKarib Ya'fur. The term ʾaʿrāb is driven from de term Arab according to Sabaean grammar. The term is awso mentioned in Quranic verses referring to peopwe who were wiving in Madina and it might be a souf Arabian woan-word into Quranic wanguage.[61]

The owdest surviving indication of an Arab nationaw identity is an inscription made in an archaic form of Arabic in 328 using de Nabataean awphabet, which refers to Imru' aw-Qays ibn 'Amr as "King of aww de Arabs".[62][63]Herodotus refers to de Arabs in de Sinai, soudern Pawestine, and de frankincense region (Soudern Arabia). Oder ancient Greek historians wike Agadarchides, Diodorus Sicuwus and Strabo mention Arabs wiving in Mesopotamia (awong de Euphrates), in Egypt (de Sinai and de Red Sea), soudern Jordan (de Nabataeans), de Syrian steppe and in eastern Arabia (de peopwe of Gerrha). Inscriptions dating to de 6f century BCE in Yemen incwude de term "Arab".[64]

The most popuwar Arab account howds dat de word "Arab" came from an eponymous fader cawwed Ya'rub who was supposedwy de first to speak Arabic. Abu Muhammad aw-Hasan aw-Hamdani had anoder view; he states dat Arabs were cawwed Gharab ("West") by Mesopotamians because Bedouins originawwy resided to de west of Mesopotamia; de term was den corrupted into "Arab".

Yet anoder view is hewd by aw-Masudi dat de word "Arabs" was initiawwy appwied to de Ishmaewites of de "Arabah" vawwey. In Bibwicaw etymowogy, "Arab" (in Hebrew Arvi ) comes bof from de desert origin of de Bedouins it originawwy described (Arava means wiwderness).

The root ʿ-r-b has severaw additionaw meanings in Semitic wanguages—incwuding "west/sunset," "desert," "mingwe," "mixed," "merchant," and "raven"—and are "comprehensibwe" wif aww of dese having varying degrees of rewevance to de emergence of de name. It is awso possibwe dat some forms were metadeticaw from ʿ-B-R "moving around" (Arabic ʿ-B-R "traverse"), and hence, it is awweged, "nomadic."[65]

Pre-Iswamic Arabia refers to de Arabian Peninsuwa prior to de rise of Iswam in de 630s. The study of Pre-Iswamic Arabia is important to Iswamic studies as it provides de context for de devewopment of Iswam. Some of de settwed communities in de Arabian Peninsuwa devewoped into distinctive civiwizations. Sources for dese civiwizations are not extensive, and are wimited to archaeowogicaw evidence, accounts written outside of Arabia, and Arab oraw traditions water recorded by Iswamic schowars. Among de most prominent civiwizations was Diwmun, which arose around de 4f miwwennium BCE and wasted to 538 BCE, and Thamud, which arose around de 1st miwwennium BCE and wasted to about 300 CE. Additionawwy, from de beginning of de first miwwennium BCE, Soudern Arabia was de home to a number of kingdoms, such as de Sabaean kingdom (Arabic: سَـبَـأ‎, transwit.Saba',[66] possibwy Sheba),[67] and de coastaw areas of Eastern Arabia were controwwed by de Pardian and Sassanians from 300 BCE.

The first written attestation of de ednonym Arab occurs in an Assyrian inscription of 853 BCE, where Shawmaneser III wists a King Gindibu of mâtu arbâi (Arab wand) as among de peopwe he defeated at de Battwe of Qarqar. Some of de names given in dese texts are Aramaic, whiwe oders are de first attestations of Ancient Norf Arabian diawects. In fact severaw different ednonyms are found in Assyrian texts dat are conventionawwy transwated "Arab": Arabi, Arubu, Aribi and Urbi. Many of de Qedarite qweens were awso described as qweens of de aribi. The Hebrew Bibwe occasionawwy refers to Aravi peopwes (or variants dereof), transwated as "Arab" or "Arabian, uh-hah-hah-hah." The scope of de term at dat earwy stage is uncwear, but it seems to have referred to various desert-dwewwing Semitic tribes in de Syrian Desert and Arabia.[citation needed] Arab tribes came into confwict wif de Assyrians during de reign of de Assyrian king Ashurbanipaw, and he records miwitary victories against de powerfuw Qedar tribe among oders.

And Ishmaew and his sons, and de sons of Keturah and deir sons, went togeder and dwewt from Paran to de entering in of Babywon in aww de wand towards de East facing de desert. And dese mingwed wif each oder, and deir name was cawwed Arabs, and Ishmaewites.

Assyrian and Babywonian Royaw Inscriptions and Norf Arabian inscriptions from 9f to 6f century BCE, mention de king of Qedar as king of de Arabs and King of de Ishmaewites.[70][71][72][73]
Of de names of de sons of Ishmaew de names "Nabat, Kedar, Abdeew, Dumah, Massa, and Teman" were mentioned in de Assyrian Royaw Inscriptions as tribes of de Ishmaewites. Jesur was mentioned in Greek inscriptions in de 1st century BCE.[74]

Ibn Khawdun's Muqaddima distinguishes between sedentary Arabian Muswims who used to be nomadic, and Bedouin nomadic Arabs of de desert. He used de term "formerwy nomadic" Arabs and refers to sedentary Muswims by de region or city dey wived in, as in Yemenis.[76] The Christians of Itawy and de Crusaders preferred de term Saracens for aww de Arabs and Muswims of dat time.[77] The Christians of Iberia used de term Moor to describe aww de Arabs and Muswims of dat time.

Muswims of Medina referred to de nomadic tribes of de deserts as de A'raab, and considered demsewves sedentary, but were aware of deir cwose raciaw bonds. The term "A'raab" mirrors de term Assyrians used to describe de cwosewy rewated nomads dey defeated in Syria. The Qur'an does not use de word ʿarab, onwy de nisba adjective ʿarabiy. The Qur'an cawws itsewf ʿarabiy, "Arabic", and Mubin, "cwear". The two qwawities are connected for exampwe in ayat 43.2–3, "By de cwear Book: We have made it an Arabic recitation in order dat you may understand". The Qur'an became regarded as de prime exampwe of de aw-ʿarabiyya, de wanguage of de Arabs. The term ʾiʿrāb has de same root and refers to a particuwarwy cwear and correct mode of speech. The pwuraw noun ʾaʿrāb refers to de Bedouin tribes of de desert who resisted Muhammad, for exampwe in at-Tawba 97,

aw-ʾaʿrābu ʾašaddu kufrān wanifāqān "de Bedouin are de worst in disbewief and hypocrisy".

Based on dis, in earwy Iswamic terminowogy, ʿarabiy referred to de wanguage, and ʾaʿrāb to de Arab Bedouins, carrying a negative connotation due to de Qur'anic verdict just cited. But after de Iswamic conqwest of de eighf century, de wanguage of de nomadic Arabs became regarded as de most pure by de grammarians fowwowing Abi Ishaq, and de term kawam aw-ʿArab, "wanguage of de Arabs", denoted de uncontaminated wanguage of de Bedouins.

Proto-Arabic, or Ancient Norf Arabian, texts give a cwearer picture of de Arabs' emergence. The earwiest are written in variants of epigraphic souf Arabian musnad script, incwuding de 8f century BCE Hasaean inscriptions of eastern Saudi Arabia, de 6f century BCE Lihyanite texts of soudeastern Saudi Arabia and de Thamudic texts found droughout de Arabian Peninsuwa and Sinai (not in reawity connected wif Thamud).

The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who moved into territory vacated by de Edomites – Semites who settwed de region centuries before dem. Their earwy inscriptions were in Aramaic, but graduawwy switched to Arabic, and since dey had writing, it was dey who made de first inscriptions in Arabic. The Nabataean awphabet was adopted by Arabs to de souf, and evowved into modern Arabic script around de 4f century. This is attested by Safaitic inscriptions (beginning in de 1st century BCE) and de many Arabic personaw names in Nabataean inscriptions. From about de 2nd century BCE, a few inscriptions from Qaryat aw-Faw reveaw a diawect no wonger considered proto-Arabic, but pre-cwassicaw Arabic. Five Syriac inscriptions mentioning Arabs have been found at Sumatar Harabesi, one of which dates to de 2nd century CE.

The ruins of Pawmyra. The Pawmyrenes were a mix of Arabs, Amorites and Arameans.

Arabs arrived in de Pawmyra in de wate first miwwennium BCE.[78] The sowdiers of de sheikh Zabdibew, who aided de Seweucids in de battwe of Raphia (217 BCE), were described as Arabs; Zabdibew and his men were not actuawwy identified as Pawmyrenes in de texts, but de name "Zabdibew" is a Pawmyrene name weading to de concwusion dat de sheikh haiwed from Pawmyra.[79] Pawmyra was conqwered by de Rashidun Cawiphate after its 634 capture by de Arab generaw Khawid ibn aw-Wawid, who took de city on his way to Damascus; an 18-day march by his army drough de Syrian Desert from Mesopotamia.[80] By den Pawmyra was wimited to de Diocwetian camp.[81] After de conqwest, de city became part of Homs Province.[82]

Fragment of a waww painting showing a Kindite king, 1st century CE

Pawmyra prospered as part of de Umayyad Cawiphate, and its popuwation grew.[83] It was a key stop on de East-West trade route, wif a warge souq (Arabic: سُـوق‎, market), buiwt by de Umayyads,[83][84] who awso commissioned part of de Tempwe of Bew as a mosqwe.[84] During dis period, Pawmyra was a stronghowd of de Banu Kawb tribe.[85] After being defeated by Marwan II during a civiw war in de cawiphate, Umayyad contender Suwayman ibn Hisham fwed to de Banu Kawb in Pawmyra, but eventuawwy pwedged awwegiance to Marwan in 744; Pawmyra continued to oppose Marwan untiw de surrender of de Banu Kawb weader aw-Abrash aw-Kawbi in 745.[86] That year, Marwan ordered de city's wawws demowished.[81][87] In 750 a revowt, wed by Majza'a ibn aw-Kawdar and Umayyad pretender Abu Muhammad aw-Sufyani, against de new Abbasid Cawiphate swept across Syria;[88] de tribes in Pawmyra supported de rebews.[89] After his defeat Abu Muhammad took refuge in de city, which widstood an Abbasid assauwt wong enough to awwow him to escape.[89]

The Ghassanids, Lakhmids and Kindites were de wast major migration of pre-Iswamic Arabs out of Yemen to de norf. The Ghassanids increased de Semitic presence in de den Hewwenized Syria, de majority of Semites were Aramaic peopwes. They mainwy settwed in de Hauran region and spread to modern Lebanon, Pawestine and Jordan.

Greeks and Romans referred to aww de nomadic popuwation of de desert in de Near East as Arabi. The Romans cawwed Yemen "Arabia Fewix".[90] The Romans cawwed de vassaw nomadic states widin de Roman EmpireArabia Petraea, after de city of Petra, and cawwed unconqwered deserts bordering de empire to de souf and east Arabia Magna.

The Lakhmids as a dynasty inherited deir power from de Tanukhids, de mid Tigris region around deir capitaw Aw-Hira. They ended up awwying wif de Sassanids against de Ghassanids and de Byzantine Empire. The Lakhmids contested controw of de Centraw Arabian tribes wif de Kindites wif de Lakhmids eventuawwy destroying Kinda in 540 after de faww of deir main awwy Himyar. The Persian Sassanids dissowved de Lakhmid dynasty in 602, being under puppet kings, den under deir direct controw.[91]
The Kindites migrated from Yemen awong wif de Ghassanids and Lakhmids, but were turned back in Bahrain by de Abduw Qais Rabi'a tribe. They returned to Yemen and awwied demsewves wif de Himyarites who instawwed dem as a vassaw kingdom dat ruwed Centraw Arabia from "Qaryah Dhat Kahw" (de present-day cawwed Qaryat aw-Faw). They ruwed much of de Nordern/Centraw Arabian peninsuwa, untiw dey were destroyed by de Lakhmid king Aw-Mundhir, and his son 'Amr.

In 661, de Rashidun Cawiphate feww into de hands of de Umayyad dynasty and Damascus was estabwished as de empire's capitaw. The Umayyads were proud of deir Arab identity and sponsored de poetry and cuwture of pre-Iswamic Arabia. They estabwished garrison towns at Ramwa, Raqqa, Basra, Kufa, Mosuw and Samarra, aww of which devewoped into major cities.[93]

CawiphAbd aw-Mawik estabwished Arabic as de Cawiphate's officiaw wanguage in 686.[94] This reform greatwy infwuenced de conqwered non-Arab peopwes and fuewed de Arabization of de region, uh-hah-hah-hah. However, de Arabs' higher status among non-Arab Muswim converts and de watter's obwigation to pay heavy taxes caused resentment. Cawiph Umar II strove to resowve de confwict when he came to power in 717. He rectified de disparity, demanding dat aww Muswims be treated as eqwaws, but his intended reforms did not take effect, as he died after onwy dree years of ruwe. By now, discontent wif de Umayyads swept de region and an uprising occurred in which de Abbasids came to power and moved de capitaw to Baghdad.

Umayyads expanded deir Empire westwards capturing Norf Africa from de Byzantines. Before de Arab conqwest, Norf Africa was conqwered or settwed by various peopwe incwuding Punics, Vandaws and Romans. After de Abbasid Revowution, de Umayyads wost most of deir territories wif de exception of Iberia. Their wast howding became known as de Emirate of Córdoba. It wasn't untiw de ruwe of de grandson of de founder of dis new emirate dat de state entered a new phase as de Cawiphate of Córdoba. This new state was characterized by an expansion of trade, cuwture and knowwedge, and saw de construction of masterpieces of aw-Andawus architecture and de wibrary of Aw-Ḥakam II which housed over 400,000 vowumes. Wif de cowwapse of de Umayyad state in 1031 CE, Iswamic Spain was divided into smaww kingdoms.

Schowars at an Abbasid wibrary in Baghdad. Maqamat of aw-Hariri Iwwustration, 123.

The Abbasids were de descendants of Abbas ibn Abd aw-Muttawib, one of de youngest uncwes of Muhammad and of de same Banu Hashim cwan, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Abbasids wed a revowt against de Umayyads and defeated dem in de Battwe of de Zab effectivewy ending deir ruwe in aww parts of de Empire wif de exception of aw-Andawus. In 762, de second Abbasid Cawiph aw-Mansur founded de city of Baghdad and decwared it de capitaw of de Cawiphate. Unwike de Umayyads, de Abbasids had de support of non-Arab subjects.[93]

The Iswamic Gowden Age was inaugurated by de middwe of de 8f century by de ascension of de Abbasid Cawiphate and de transfer of de capitaw from Damascus to de newwy founded city of Baghdad. The Abbassids were infwuenced by de Qur'anic injunctions and hadif such as "The ink of de schowar is more howy dan de bwood of martyrs" stressing de vawue of knowwedge. During dis period de Muswim worwd became an intewwectuaw centre for science, phiwosophy, medicine and education as de Abbasids championed de cause of knowwedge and estabwished de "House of Wisdom" (Arabic: بيت الحكمة‎) in Baghdad. Rivaw dynasties such as de Fatimids of Egypt and de Umayyads of aw-Andawus were awso major intewwectuaw centres wif cities such as Cairo and Córdoba rivawing Baghdad.[95]

The Abbasids ruwed for 200 years before dey wost deir centraw controw when Wiwayas began to fracture in de 10f century; afterwards, in de 1190s, dere was a revivaw of deir power, which was ended by de Mongows, who conqwered Baghdad in 1258 and kiwwed de Cawiph Aw-Musta'sim. Members of de Abbasid royaw famiwy escaped de massacre and resorted to Cairo, which had broken from de Abbasid ruwe two years earwier; de Mamwuk generaws taking de powiticaw side of de kingdom whiwe Abbasid Cawiphs were engaged in civiw activities and continued patronizing science, arts and witerature.

The Fatimid cawiphate was founded by aw-Mahdi Biwwah, a descendant of Fatimah, de daughter of Muhammad, in de earwy 10f century. Egypt was de powiticaw, cuwturaw, and rewigious centre of de Fatimid empire. The Fatimid state took shape among de Kutama Berbers, in de West of de Norf African wittoraw, in Awgeria, in 909 conqwering Raqqada, de Aghwabid capitaw. In 921 de Fatimids estabwished de Tunisian city of Mahdia as deir new capitaw. In 948 dey shifted deir capitaw to Aw-Mansuriya, near Kairouan in Tunisia, and in 969 dey conqwered Egypt and estabwished Cairo as de capitaw of deir cawiphate.

Intewwectuaw wife in Egypt during de Fatimid period achieved great progress and activity, due to many schowars who wived in or came to Egypt, as weww as de number of books avaiwabwe. Fatimid Cawiphs gave prominent positions to schowars in deir courts, encouraged students, and estabwished wibraries in deir pawaces, so dat schowars might expand deir knowwedge and reap benefits from de work of deir predecessors.[96] The Fatimids were awso known for deir exqwisite arts. Many traces of Fatimid architecture exist in Cairo today; de most defining exampwes incwude Aw-Hakim Mosqwe and de Aw-Azhar University.

It was not untiw de 11f century dat de Maghreb saw a warge infwux of ednic Arabs. Starting wif de 11f century, de Arab bedouin Banu Hiwaw tribes migrated to de West. Having been sent by de Fatimids to punish de Berber Zirids for abandoning Shias, dey travewwed westwards. The Banu Hiwaw qwickwy defeated de Zirids and deepwy weakened de neighboring Hammadids. According to some modern historians. deir infwux was a major factor in de arabization of de Maghreb.[97][98] Awdough Berbers ruwed de region untiw de 16f century (under such powerfuw dynasties as de Awmoravids, de Awmohads, Hafsids, etc.), de arrivaw of dese tribes eventuawwy hewped Arabize much of it ednicawwy, in addition to de winguistic and powiticaw impact on wocaw non-Arabs.[citation needed]

From 1517 to 1918, much of de Arab worwd was under de suzerainty of de Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans defeated de Mamwuk Suwtanate in Cairo, and ended de Abbasid Cawiphate. Arabs did not feew de change of administration because de Ottomans modewed deir ruwe after de previous Arab administration systems.[citation needed]

In 1911, Arab intewwectuaws and powiticians from droughout de Levant formed aw-Fatat ("de Young Arab Society"), a smaww Arab nationawist cwub, in Paris. Its stated aim was "raising de wevew of de Arab nation to de wevew of modern nations." In de first few years of its existence, aw-Fatat cawwed for greater autonomy widin a unified Ottoman state rader dan Arab independence from de empire. Aw-Fatat hosted de Arab Congress of 1913 in Paris, de purpose of which was to discuss desired reforms wif oder dissenting individuaws from de Arab worwd. However, as de Ottoman audorities cracked down on de organization's activities and members, aw-Fatat went underground and demanded de compwete independence and unity of de Arab provinces.[99]

Arabs in modern times wive in de Arab worwd, which comprises 22 countries in Western Asia, Norf Africa, and parts of de Horn of Africa. They are aww modern states and became significant as distinct powiticaw entities after de faww and defeat and dissowution of de Ottoman Empire (1908–1922).

Paternaw descent pways a strong part in de rowe of citizenship of an individuaw and maternaw descent awso pways an issue. Paternaw descent is considered de main source of affiwiation in de Arab worwd when it comes to membership into a kin group or cwan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[102]

The Near East in 565, showing de Ghassanids, Lakhmids, Kindah and Hejaz

Arab tribes, most notabwy de Ghassanids and Lakhmids begin to appear in de souf Syrian deserts and soudern Jordan from de mid 3rd century CE onwards, during de mid to water stages of de Roman Empire and Sasanian Empire. Awso, before dem de Nabataeans of Jordan and arguabwy de Emessans,[103]Edessans,[104] and Hatrans[105] aww appear to have been an Aramaic speaking ednic Arabs who came to ruwe much of de pre-Iswamic fertiwe crescent often as vassaws of de two rivaw empires, de Sasanian (Persian) and de Byzantine (Eastern Roman).[106] Thus, awdough a more wimited diffusion of Arab cuwture and wanguage was fewt in some areas by dese migrant minority Arabs in pre-Iswamic times drough Arabic-speaking Christian kingdoms and Jewish tribes, it was onwy after de rise of Iswam in de mid-7f century dat Arab cuwture, peopwe and wanguage began deir whowesawe spread from de centraw Arabian Peninsuwa (incwuding de souf Syrian desert) drough conqwest and trade.

Arabs in de narrow sense are de indigenous Arabians who trace deir roots back to de tribes of Arabia and deir immediate descendant groups in de Levant and Norf Africa. Widin de peopwe of de Arabian Peninsuwa, distinction is made between:
"Perishing Arabs" (Arabic: الـعـرب الـبـائـدة‎) are ancient tribes of whose history wittwe is known, uh-hah-hah-hah. They incwude ʿĀd (Arabic: عَـاد‎),[107]Thamûd (Arabic: ثَـمُـود‎,[108] Tasm, Jadis, Imwaq and oders. Jadis and Tasm perished because of genocide. 'Aad and Thamud perished because of deir decadence, as recorded in de Qur'an, uh-hah-hah-hah. Archaeowogists have recentwy uncovered inscriptions dat contain references to Iram dhāṫ aw-'Imād (Arabic: إِرَم ذَات الـعِـمَـاد‎, Iram of de Piwwars),[107] which was a major city of de 'Aad. Imwaq is de singuwar form of 'Amaweeq and is probabwy synonymous to de bibwicaw Amawek. "Pure Arabs" (Arabic: الـعـرب الـعـاربـة‎) or Qahtanites from Yemen, taken to be descended from Ya'rub ibn Yashjub ibn Qahtan and furder from Hud. "Arabized Arabs" (Arabic: الـعـرب الـمـسـتـعـربـة‎) or Adnanites, taken to be de descendants of Ishmaew son of Abraham.

Arabians are most prevawent in de Arabian Peninsuwa, but are awso found in warge numbers in Mesopotamia (Arab tribes in Iraq), de Levant and Sinai (Negev Bedouin, Tarabin bedouin), as weww as de Maghreb (Eastern Libya, Souf Tunisia and Souf Awgeria) and de Sudan region, uh-hah-hah-hah.

The Arab presence in Iran did not begin wif de Arab conqwest of Persia in 633 CE. For centuries, Iranian ruwers had maintained contacts wif Arabs outside deir borders, deawt wif Arab subjects and cwient states (such as dose of Iraq and Yemen), and settwed Arab tribesmen in various parts of de Iranian pwateau. It fowwows dat de "Arab" conqwests and settwements were by no means de excwusive work of Arabs from de Hejaz and de tribesmen of inner Arabia. The Arab infiwtration into Iran began before de Muswim conqwests and continued as a resuwt of de joint exertions of de civiwized Arabs (ahw aw-madar) as weww as de desert Arabs (ahw aw-wabar).[109] The wargest group of Iranian Arabs are de Ahwazi Arabs, incwuding Banu Ka'b, Bani Turuf and de Musha'sha'iyyah sect. Smawwer groups are de Khamseh nomads in Fars Province and de Arabs in Khorasan.

Post-card of Emir Mejhem ibn Meheid, chief of de Anaza tribe near Aweppo wif his sons after being decorated wif de Croix de Légion d'honneur on 20 September 1920

Native Jordanians are eider descended from Bedouins (of which, 6% wive a nomadic wifestywe),[111] or from de many deepwy rooted non bedouin communities across de country, most notabwy Aw-Sawt city west of Amman which was at de time of Emirate de wargest urban settwement east of de Jordan River. Awong wif indigenous communities in Aw Husn, Aqaba, Irbid, Aw Karak, Madaba, Jerash, Ajwoun, Fuheis and Pewwa.[112] In Jordan, dere is no officiaw census data for how many inhabitants have Pawestinian roots but dey are estimated to constitute hawf of de popuwation,[113][114] which in 2008 amounted to about 3 miwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[114] Pawestinian Centraw Bureau of Statistics put deir number at 3.24 miwwion in 2009.[115]

Owd Bedouin man and his wife in Egypt, 1918

The Bedouins of western Egypt and eastern Libya are traditionawwy divided into Saʿada and Murabtin, de Saʿada having higher sociaw status. This may derive from a historicaw feudaw system in which de Murabtin were vassaws to de Saʿada
In Sudan, dere are numerous Arabic-speaking tribes, incwuding de Shaigya, Ja'awin and Shukria, who are ancestrawwy rewated to de Nubians. These groups are cowwectivewy known as Sudanese Arabs. In addition, dere are oder Afroasiatic-speaking popuwations, such as Copts and Beja.

The totaw number of Arabic speakers wiving in de Arab nations is estimated at 366 miwwion by de CIA Factbook (as of 2014). The estimated number of Arabs in countries outside de Arab League is estimated at 17.5 miwwion, yiewding a totaw of cwose to 384 miwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah.

According to de Charter of de Arab League (awso known as de Pact of de League of Arab States), de League of Arab States is composed of independent Arab states dat are signatories to de Charter.[119]

Awdough aww Arab states have Arabic as an officiaw wanguage, dere are many non-Arabic-speaking popuwations native to de Arab worwd. Among dese are Berbers, Toubou, Nubians, Jews, Kurds, Armenians.[38] Additionawwy, many Arab countries in de Persian Guwf have sizabwe non-Arab immigrant popuwations (10–30%). Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman have a Persian speaking minority. The same countries awso have Hindi-Urdu speakers and Fiwipinos as sizabwe minority. Bawochi speakers are a good size minority in Oman, uh-hah-hah-hah. Additionawwy, countries wike Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Kuwait have significant non-Arab and non-Muswim minorities (10–20%) wike Hindus and Christians from India, Pakistan, Bangwadesh, Nepaw and de Phiwippines.

The tabwe bewow shows de distribution of popuwations in de Arab worwd, as weww as de officiaw wanguage(s) widin de various Arab states.[120]

Latin America has de wargest Arab popuwation outside of de Arab Worwd.[180] Latin America is home to anywhere from 17–25 to 30 miwwion peopwe of Arab descent,[181] which is more dan any oder diaspora region in de worwd.[182][183] The Braziwian and Lebanese governments cwaim dere are 7 miwwion Braziwians of Lebanese descent.[184][185] Awso, de Braziwian government cwaims dere are 4 miwwion Braziwians of Syrian descent.[184] According to research conducted by IBGE in 2008, covering onwy de states of Amazonas, Paraíba, São Pauwo, Rio Grande do Suw, Mato Grosso and Distrito Federaw, 0.9% of white Braziwian respondents said dey had famiwy origins in de Middwe East.[186][187][188][189][190] Oder warge Arab communities incwudes Argentina (about 4,500,000[191][192][193]) The interednic marriage in de Arab community, regardwess of rewigious affiwiation, is very high; most community members have onwy one parent who has Arab ednicity.[194]Venezuewa (over 1,600,000[15][195][196]), Cowombia (over 1,600,000[16] to 3,200,000[197][198][199]), Mexico (over 1,100,000[19]), Chiwe (over 800,000[200][201][202][203]), and Centraw America, particuwarwy Ew Sawvador, and Honduras (between 150,000 and 200,000).[204][205][206] is de fourf wargest in de worwd after dose in Israew, Lebanon, and Jordan, uh-hah-hah-hah. Arab Haitians (a warge number of whom wive in de capitaw) are more often dan not, concentrated in financiaw areas where de majority of dem estabwish businesses.[207][207][207]

Georgia and de Caucasus in 1060, during de finaw decwine of de emirate

In 1728, a Russian officer described a group of Arab nomads who popuwated de Caspian shores of Mughan (in present-day Azerbaijan) and spoke a mixed Turkic-Arabic wanguage.[208] It is bewieved dat dese groups migrated to de Caucasus in de 16f century.[209] The 1888 edition of Encycwopædia Britannica awso mentioned a certain number of Arabs popuwating de Baku Governorate of de Russian Empire.[210] They retained an Arabic diawect at weast into de mid-19f century,[211] dere are nearwy 30 settwements stiww howding de name Arab (for exampwe, Arabgadim, Arabojaghy, Arab-Yengija, etc.). From de time of de Arab conqwest of de Caucasus, continuous smaww-scawe Arab migration from various parts of de Arab worwd occurred in Dagestan. The majority of dese wived in de viwwage of Darvag, to de norf-west of Derbent. The watest of dese accounts dates to de 1930s.[209] Most Arab communities in soudern Dagestan underwent winguistic Turkicisation, dus nowadays Darvag is a majority-Azeri viwwage.[212][213] According to de History of Ibn Khawdun, de Arabs dat were once in Centraw Asia have been eider kiwwed or have fwed de Tatar invasion of de region, weaving onwy de wocaws.[214] However, today many peopwe in Centraw Asia identify as Arabs. Most Arabs of Centraw Asia are fuwwy integrated into wocaw popuwations, and sometimes caww demsewves de same as wocaws (for exampwe, Tajiks, Uzbeks) but dey use speciaw titwes to show deir Arab origin such as Sayyid, Khoja or Siddiqwi.[215]

Kechimawai Mosqwe, Beruwawa. One of de owdest mosqwes in Sri Lanka. It is bewieved to be de site where de first Arabs wanded in Sri Lanka.

Before de coming of Iswam, most Arabs fowwowed a pagan rewigion wif a number of deities, incwuding Hubaw,[244]Wadd, Awwāt,[245]Manat, and Uzza. A few individuaws, de hanifs, had apparentwy rejected powydeism in favor of monodeism unaffiwiated wif any particuwar rewigion, uh-hah-hah-hah. Some tribes had converted to Christianity or Judaism. The most prominent Arab Christian kingdoms were de Ghassanid and Lakhmid kingdoms.[246] When de Himyarite king converted to Judaism in de wate 4f century,[247] de ewites of de oder prominent Arab kingdom, de Kindites, being Himyirite vassaws, apparentwy awso converted (at weast partwy). Wif de expansion of Iswam, powydeistic Arabs were rapidwy Iswamized, and powydeistic traditions graduawwy disappeared.[248][249]

Today, Sunni Iswam dominates in most areas, overwhewmingwy so in Norf Africa and de Horn of Africa. Shia Iswam is dominant among de Arab popuwation in Bahrain and soudern Iraq whiwe nordern Iraq is mostwy Sunni. Substantiaw Shia popuwations exist in Lebanon, Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,[250] nordern Syria and Aw-Batinah Region in Oman. There are smaww numbers of Ibadi and non-denominationaw Muswims too.[240] The Druze community is concentrated in Lebanon, Syria, Israew and Jordan, uh-hah-hah-hah. Many Druze cwaim independence from oder major rewigions in de area and consider deir rewigion more of a phiwosophy. Their books of worship are cawwed Kitab Aw Hikma (Epistwes of Wisdom). They bewieve in reincarnation and pray to five messengers from God. In Israew, de Druze have a status aparte from de generaw Arab popuwation, treated as a separate edno-rewigious community.

Christianity had a prominent presence In pre-Iswamic Arabia among severaw Arab communities, incwuding de Bahrani peopwe of Eastern Arabia, de Christian community of Najran, in parts of Yemen, and among certain nordern Arabian tribes such as de Ghassanids, Lakhmids, Taghwib, Banu Amewa, Banu Judham, Tanukhids and Tayy. In de earwy Christian centuries, Arabia was sometimes known as Arabia heretica, due to its being "weww known as a breeding-ground for heterodox interpretations of Christianity."[251] Christians make up 5.5% of de popuwation of Western Asia and Norf Africa.[252] A sizeabwe share of dose are Arab Christians proper, and affiwiated Arabic-speaking popuwations of Copts and Maronites. In Lebanon, Christians number about 40.5% of de popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[129] In Syria, Christians make up 10% of de popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[139] In West Bank and in Gaza Strip, Christians make up 8% and 0.7% of de popuwations, respectivewy.[253][254] In Egypt, Coptic Christians number about 10% of de popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. In Iraq, Christians constitute 0.1% of de popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[255] In Israew, Arab Christians constitute 2.1% (roughwy 9% of de Arab popuwation).[256] Arab Christians make up 8% of de popuwation of Jordan.[257] Most Norf and Souf American Arabs are Christian,[258] so are about hawf of de Arabs in Austrawia who come particuwarwy from Lebanon, Syria and Pawestine. One weww known member of dis rewigious and ednic community is Saint Abo, martyr and de patron saint of Tbiwisi, Georgia.[259] Arab Christians awso wive in howy Christian cities such as Nazaref, Bedwehem and de Christian Quarter of de Owd City of Jerusawem and many oder viwwages wif howy Christian sites.

Arabs share basic bewiefs and vawues dat cross nationaw and sociaw cwass boundaries. Sociaw attitudes have remained constant because Arab society is more conservative and demands conformity from its members.[261]

Arabic mydowogy comprises de ancient bewiefs of de Arabs.[270] Prior to Iswam de Kaaba of Mecca was covered in symbows representing de myriad demons, djinn, demigods, or simpwy tribaw gods and oder assorted deities which represented de powydeistic cuwture of pre-Iswamic.[271][272] It has been inferred from dis pwurawity an exceptionawwy broad context in which mydowogy couwd fwourish. The most popuwar beasts and demons of Arabian mydowogy are Bahamut, Dandan, Fawak, Ghouw, Hinn, Jinn, Karkadann, Marid, Nasnas, Qareen, Roc, Shadhavar, Werehyena and oder assorted creatures which represented de profoundwy powydeistic environment of pre-Iswamic.[273]

The most obvious symbow of Arabian mydowogy is de Jinn or genie.[274] Jinns are supernaturaw beings of varying degrees of power. They possess free wiww (dat is, dey can choose to be good or eviw) and come in two fwavors. There are de Marids, usuawwy described as de most powerfuw type of Jinn, uh-hah-hah-hah. These are de type of genie wif de abiwity to grant wishes to humans. However, granting dese wishes is not free. The Quran says dat de jinn were created from "mārijin min nar" (smokewess fire or a mixture of fire; schowars expwained, dis is de part of de fwame, which mixed wif de bwackness of fire).[275][276] They are not purewy spirituaw, but are awso physicaw in nature, being abwe to interact in a tactiwe manner wif peopwe and objects and wikewise be acted upon, uh-hah-hah-hah. The jinn, humans, and angews make up de known sapient creations of God.[277]

A ghouw is a monster or eviw spirit in Arabic mydowogy, associated wif graveyards and consuming human fwesh,[278][279] demonic being bewieved to inhabit buriaw grounds and oder deserted pwaces. In ancient Arabic fowkwore, ghūws bewonged to a diabowic cwass of jinn (spirits) and were said to be de offspring of Ibwīs, de prince of darkness in Iswam. They were capabwe of constantwy changing form, but deir presence was awways recognizabwe by deir unawterabwe sign—ass's hooves.[280] which describes de ghūw of Arabic fowkwore. The ghuw is a deviwish type of jinn bewieved to be sired by Ibwis.[281]

A giraffe from de Kitāb aw-Ḥayawān (Book of de Animaws), an important scientific treatise by de 9f century Arab writer Aw-Jahiz.[282]

Aw-Jahiz (born 776, in Basra – December 868/January 869) was an Arab prose writer and audor of works of witerature, Mu'taziwi deowogy, and powitico-rewigious powemics. A weading schowar in de Abassid Cawiphate, his canon incwudes two hundred books on various subjects, incwuding Arabic grammar, zoowogy, poetry, wexicography, and rhetoric. Of his writings, onwy dirty books survive. Aw-Jāḥiẓ was awso one of de first Arabian writers to suggest a compwete overhauw of de wanguage's grammaticaw system, dough dis wouwd not be undertaken untiw his fewwow winguist Ibn Maḍāʾ took up de matter two hundred years water.[283]

A warge portion of Arabic witerature before de 20f century is in de form of poetry, and even prose from dis period is eider fiwwed wif snippets of poetry or is in de form of saj or rhymed prose.[287]
The ghazaw or wove poem had a wong history being at times tender and chaste and at oder times rader expwicit.[288] In de Sufi tradition de wove poem wouwd take on a wider, mysticaw and rewigious importance. Arabic epic witerature was much wess common dan poetry, and presumabwy originates in oraw tradition, written down from de 14f century or so. Maqama or rhymed prose is intermediate between poetry and prose, and awso between fiction and non-fiction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[289]Maqama was an incredibwy popuwar form of Arabic witerature, being one of de few forms which continued to be written during de decwine of Arabic in de 17f and 18f centuries.[290]

Arabic cuisine is de cuisine of de Arab peopwe.[296] The cuisines are often centuries owd and resembwe and cuwture of great trading in spices, herbs, and foods. The dree main regions, awso known as de Maghreb, de Mashriq, and de Khaweej have many simiwarities, but awso many uniqwe traditions. These kitchens have been infwuenced by de cwimate, cuwtivating possibiwities, as weww as trading possibiwities. The kitchens of de Maghreb and Levant are rewativewy young kitchens which were devewoped over de past centuries. The kitchen from de Khaweej region is a very owd kitchen, uh-hah-hah-hah. The kitchens can be divided into de urban and ruraw kitchens.

Arab cuisine mostwy fowwows one of dree cuwinary traditions – from de Maghreb, de Levant or de Persian Guwf states. In de Maghreb countries (Morocco, Awgeria, Tunisia and Libya) traditionaw main meaws are tajines or dishes using couscous. In de Levant (Pawestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) main meaws usuawwy start wif mezze – smaww dishes of dips and oder items which are eaten wif bread. This is typicawwy fowwowed by skewers of griwwed wamb or chicken, uh-hah-hah-hah. Guwf cuisine, tends to be more highwy spiced wif more use of rice. Sometimes a wamb is roasted and served whowe.[297]

Mosaic and arabesqwe on a waww of de Myrtwe court in Awhambra, Granada.

Arabic art takes on many forms, dough it is jewewry, textiwes and architecture dat are de most weww-known, uh-hah-hah-hah. It is generawwy spwit up by different eras, among dem being earwy Arabic, earwy medievaw, wate medievaw, wate Arabic, and finawwy, current Arabic. One ding to remember is dat many times a particuwar stywe from one era may continue into de next wif few changes, whiwe some have a drastic transformation, uh-hah-hah-hah. This may seem wike a strange grouping of art mediums, but dey are aww cwosewy rewated.[299][300]

Arabic writing is done from right to weft, and was generawwy written in dark inks, wif certain dings embewwished wif speciaw cowored inks (red, green, gowd). In earwy Arabic and earwy Medievaw, writing was typicawwy done on parchment made of animaw skin, uh-hah-hah-hah. The ink showed up very weww on it, and occasionawwy de parchment was dyed a separate cowor and brighter ink was used (dis was onwy for speciaw projects). The name given to de form of writing in earwy times was cawwed Kufic script.[301]

Arabesqwe is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhydmic winear patterns of scrowwing and interwacing fowiage, tendriws" or pwain wines,[302] often combined wif oder ewements. Anoder definition is "Fowiate ornament, typicawwy using weaves, derived from stywised hawf-pawmettes, which were combined wif spirawwing stems".[303] It usuawwy consists of a singwe design which can be 'tiwed' or seamwesswy repeated as many times as desired.[304][305]

Arabic Architecture has a deep diverse history, it dates to de dawn of de history in pre-Iswamic Arabia and incwudes various stywes from de Nabataean architecture to de owd yet stiww used architecture in various regions of de Arab worwd. Each of it phases wargewy
an extension of de earwier phase, it weft awso heavy impact on de architecture of oder nations. Arab Architecture awso encompasses a wide range of bof secuwar and rewigious stywes from de foundation of Iswam to de present day. Some parts of its rewigious architectures raised by Muswim Arabs were infwuenced by cuwtures of Roman, Byzantine and cuwtures of oder wands which de Arab conqwered in de 7f and 8f centuries.[306][307]

In Siciwy, Arab-Norman architecture combined Occidentaw features, such as de Cwassicaw piwwars and friezes, wif typicaw Arabic decorations and cawwigraphy. The principaw Iswamic architecturaw types are: de Mosqwe, de Tomb, de Pawace and de Fort. From dese four types, de vocabuwary of Iswamic architecture is derived and used for oder buiwdings such as pubwic bads, fountains and domestic architecture.[308][309]

Arabic music, whiwe independent and fwourishing in de 2010s, has a wong history of interaction wif many oder regionaw musicaw stywes and genres. It is an amawgam of de music of de Arab peopwe in de Arabian Peninsuwa and de music of aww de peopwes dat make up de Arab worwd today.[310] Pre-Iswamic Arab music was simiwar to dat of Ancient Middwe Eastern music. Most historians agree dat dere existed distinct forms of music in de Arabian peninsuwa in de pre-Iswamic period between de 5f and 7f century CE. Arab poets of dat "Jahiwi poets", meaning "de poets of de period of ignorance"—used to recite poems wif a high notes.[311] It was bewieved dat Jinns reveawed poems to poets and music to musicians.[311][311] By de 11f century, Iswamic Iberia had become a center for de manufacture of instruments. These goods spread graduawwy droughout France, infwuencing French troubadours, and eventuawwy reaching de rest of Europe. The Engwish words wute, rebec, and naker are derived from Arabic oud, rabab, and naqareh.[312][313]

Arab powydeism was de dominant rewigion in pre-Iswamic Arabia. Gods and goddesses, incwuding Hubaw and de goddesses aw-Lāt, Aw-'Uzzá and Manāt, were worshipped at wocaw shrines, such as de Kaaba in Mecca, whiwst Arabs in de souf, in what is today's Yemen, worshipped various gods, some of which represented de Sun or Moon, uh-hah-hah-hah. Different deories have been proposed regarding de rowe of Awwah in Meccan rewigion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[54][329][330][331] Many of de physicaw descriptions of de pre-Iswamic gods are traced to idows, especiawwy near de Kaaba, which is said to have contained up to 360 of dem.[332] Untiw about de fourf century, awmost aww Arabs practised powydeistic rewigions.[333] Awdough significant Jewish and Christian minorities devewoped, powydeism remained de dominant bewief system in pre-Iswamic Arabia.[54][334]

The rewigious bewiefs and practices of de nomadic bedouin were distinct from dose of de settwed tribes of towns such as Mecca.[335] Nomadic rewigious bewief systems and practices are bewieved to have incwuded fetishism, totemism and veneration of de dead but were connected principawwy wif immediate concerns and probwems and did not consider warger phiwosophicaw qwestions such as de afterwife.[335] Settwed urban Arabs, on de oder hand, are dought to have bewieved in a more compwex pandeon of deities.[335] Whiwe de Meccans and de oder settwed inhabitants of de Hejaz worshipped deir gods at permanent shrines in towns and oases, de bedouin practised deir rewigion on de move.[336]

Arabic science underwent considerabwe devewopment during de 8f to 13f centuries CE, a source of knowwedge dat water spread droughout Europe and greatwy infwuenced bof medicaw practice and education, uh-hah-hah-hah. These scientific accompwishments occurred after Muhammad united de Arab tribes.[342]

Awbategnius's Kitāb az-Zīj was one of de most infwuentiaw books in medievaw astronomy

Widin a century after Muhammed's deaf (632 CE), an empire ruwed by Arabs was estabwished. It encompassed a warge part of de pwanet, stretching from soudern Europe to Norf Africa to Centraw Asia and on to India. In 711 CE, Arab Muswims invaded soudern Spain; aw-Andawus was a center of Arabic scientific accompwishment. Anoder center emerged in Baghdad from de Abbasids, who ruwed part of de Iswamic worwd during a historic period water characterized as de "Gowden Age" (∼750 to 1258 CE).[343]

Aw-Battani (c. 858 – 929; born Harran, Biwad aw-Sham) was an Arab astronomer, astrowoger and madematician of de Iswamic Gowden Age. His work is considered instrumentaw in de devewopment of science and astronomy. One of Aw-Battani's best-known achievements in astronomy was de determination of de sowar year as being 365 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes and 24 seconds which is onwy 2 minutes and 22 seconds off.[350]

Aw-Zahrawi, regarded by many as de greatest surgeon of de middwe ages.[352] His surgicaw treatise "De chirurgia" is de first iwwustrated surgicaw guide ever written, uh-hah-hah-hah. It remained de primary source for surgicaw procedures and instruments in Europe for de next 500 years.[353] The book hewped way de foundation to estabwish surgery as a scientific discipwine independent from medicine, earning aw-Zahrawi his name as one of de founders of dis fiewd.[354]

Arabic weddings have changed greatwy in de past 100 years. Originaw traditionaw Arabic weddings are supposed to be very simiwar to modern-day Bedouin weddings and ruraw weddings, and dey are in some cases uniqwe from one region to anoder, even widin de same country. The practice of marrying of rewatives is a common feature of Arab cuwture.[390]

The mtDNA hapwogroup J has been observed at notabwe freqwencies among overaww popuwations in de Arab worwd.[439][440] The maternaw cwade R0 reaches its highest freqwency in de Arabian peninsuwa,[441] whiwe K and T(specificawwy subcwade T2) is more common in de Levant.[439] In de Niwe Vawwey and Horn of Africa, hapwogroups N1 and M1;[441] in de Maghreb, hapwogroups H1 and U6 are more significant.[442]

There are four principaw West Eurasian autosomaw DNA components dat characterize de popuwations in de Arab worwd: de Arabian, Levantine, Coptic and Maghrebi components.

The Arabian component is de main autosomaw ewement in de Persian Guwf region, uh-hah-hah-hah. It is most cwosewy associated wif wocaw Arabic-speaking popuwations.[414] The Arabian component is awso found at significant freqwencies in parts of de Levant and Nordeast Africa.[414][443] The geographicaw distribution pattern of dis component correwates wif de pattern of de Iswamic expansion, but its presence in Lebanese Christians, Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews, Cypriots and Armenians might suggest dat its spread to de Levant couwd awso represent an earwier event.[414]

The Levantine component is de main autosomaw ewement in de Near East and Caucasus. It peaks among Druze popuwations in de Levant. The Levantine component diverged from de Arabian component about 15,500–23,700 ypb.[414]

The Coptic component is de main autosomaw ewement in Nordeast Africa. It peaks among EgyptianCopts in Sudan, and is awso found at high freqwencies among oder Afro-Asiatic-speaking popuwations in de Niwe Vawwey and de Horn of Africa.[444] The Coptic component is roughwy eqwivawent wif de Edio-Somawi component.[445]

The Maghrebi component is de main autosomaw ewement in de Maghreb. It peaks among de non-Arabized Berber popuwations in de region, uh-hah-hah-hah.[443] The Maghrebi component diverged from de Coptic/Edio-Somawi, Arabian and Levantine components prior to de Howocene.[443][445]

Bernard Ewwis Lewis; Buntzie Ewwis Churchiww (2008). Iswam: The Rewigion and de Peopwe. Pearson Prentice Haww. p. 137. Retrieved 21 August 2017. At de time of de Prophet's birf and mission, de Arabic wanguage was more or wess confined to Arabia, a wand of deserts, sprinkwed wif oases. Surrounding it on wand on every side were de two rivaw empires of Persia and Byzantium. The countries of what now make up de Arab worwd were divided between de two of dem—Iraq under Persian ruwe, Syria, Pawestine, and Norf Africa part of de Byzantine Empire. They spoke a variety of different wanguages and were for de most part Christians, wif some Jewish minorities. Their Arabization and Iswamization took pwace wif de vast expansion of Iswam in de decades and centuries fowwowing de deaf of de Prophet in 632 CE. The Aramaic wanguage, once dominant in de Fertiwe Crescent, survives in onwy a few remote viwwages and in de rituaws of de Eastern churches. Coptic, de wanguage of Christian Egypt before de Arab conqwest, has been entirewy repwaced by Arabic except in de church witurgy. Some earwier wanguages have survived, notabwy Kurdish in Soudwest Asia and Berber in Norf Africa, but Arabic, in one form or anoder, has in effect become de wanguage of everyday speech as weww as of government, commerce, and cuwture in what has come to be known as "de Arab worwd."

Studies in de History of de Near East - Page 28 113627331X P.M. Howt - 2013 "He hewd de post untiw his deaf in 1624 and was succeeded by his former pupiw, James Gowius (1596–1667). Erpenius and Gowius made outstanding contributions to de devewopment of Arabic studies by deir teaching, deir preparation of texts, ..."

^"Saba / Sa'abia / Sheba". The History Fiwes (http://www.historyfiwes.co.uk). Retrieved 27 June 2008. The kingdom of Saba is known to have existed in de region of Yemen, uh-hah-hah-hah. By 1000 BC caravan trains of camews journeyed from Oman in souf-east Arabia to de Mediterranean, uh-hah-hah-hah. As de camew drivers passed drough de deserts of Yemen, experts bewieve dat many of dem wouwd have cawwed in at Ma'rib. Dating from at weast 1050 BC, and now barren and dry, Ma'rib was den a wush oasis teeming wif pawm trees and exoticpwants. Ideawwy pwaced, it was situated on de trade routes and wif a uniqwe dam of vast proportions. It was awso one of onwy two main sources of frankincense (de oder being East Africa), so Saba had a virtuaw monopowy. Ma'rib's weawf accumuwated to such an extent dat de city became a byword for riches beyond bewief droughout de Arab worwd. Its peopwe, de Sabeans - a group whose name bears de same etymowogicaw root as Saba - wived in Souf Arabia between de tenf and sixf centuries BC. Their main tempwe - Mahram Biwqis, or tempwe of de moon god (situated about dree miwes (5 km) from de capitaw city of Ma'rib) - was so famous dat it remained sacred even after de cowwapse of de Sabean civiwisation in de sixf century BC - caused by de rerouting of de spice traiw. By dat point de dam, now in a poor state of repair, was finawwy breached. The irrigation system was wost, de peopwe abandoned de site widin a year or so, and de tempwe feww into disrepair and was eventuawwy covered by sand. Saba was known by de Hebrews as Sheba [Note dat de cowwapse of de dam was actuawwy in 575 CE, as shown in de timewine in de same articwe in de History Fiwes, and attested by MacCuwwoch (2009)].

Ishmaew is recognized by Muswims as de ancestor of severaw prominent Arabtribes and being de forefader of Muhammad. A–Z of Prophets in Iswam and Judaism, Wheewer, Ishmaew Muswims awso bewieve dat Muhammad was de descendant of Ishmaew dat wouwd estabwish a great nation, as promised by God in de Owd Testament.*Genesis 17:20Zeep, Ira G. (2000). A Muswim primer: beginner's guide to Iswam, Vowume 2. University of Arkansas Press. p. 5. ISBN978-1-55728-595-9.

Ishmaew was considered de ancestor of de Nordern Arabs and Muhammad was winked to him drough de wineage of de patriarch Adnan, uh-hah-hah-hah. Ishmaew may awso have been de ancestor of de Soudern Arabs drough his descendant Qahtan, uh-hah-hah-hah.

^Verger, Jacqwes: "Patterns", in: Ridder-Symoens, Hiwde de (ed.): A History of de University in Europe. Vow. I: Universities in de Middwe Ages, Cambridge University Press, 2003, ISBN978-0-521-54113-8, pp. 35–76 (35)